Monday, September 1, 2014

Door-Knocking Day in City Springs Neighborhoods

On Friday, August 15th City Springs Elementary/Middle School and Child First Authority held a Door-Knocking Event in the Perkins Homes and Douglass Homes communities.

Over 35 staff members from City Springs, Child First and the Baltimore Curriculum Project canvassed the neighborhood to remind families that school started on August 18th, a week before other City Schools. City Springs adopted a modified schedule a few years ago, which allows for extra instruction during intersessions and reduces summer learning loss.

Families were very receptive to the visits and many expressed their fondness for the teachers at City Springs.

"At one point we stumbled upon a group of City Springs families having a picnic outside the Douglass Homes Learning Lab," said BCP Executive VP Larry Schugam.

"One of the grandmas asked us to tell City Springs Paraeducator Kyle Garrison how much they appreciate his support for the community. She said that every day this summer he played basketball with the kids in Douglass Homes."

The door-knocking event, which was organized by Principal Rhonda Richetta and Child First Community School Coordinator Abby Baldwin, launched the school's new "Every Student, Every Day!" attendance initiative.

As part of this effort to have every child, every day in school, staff members will make home visits when students are absent. The school will help parents who are having difficulty getting their children to school every day.

Principal Richetta and Abby Baldwin will actively solicit input from parents on the best ways to communicate the importance of regular attendance to all families. In order to further engage parents in the initiative, Principal Richetta will make herself available to chat with parents every Friday morning.

"We believe that we can teach all children, but we cannot teach them if they are not in school," said Principal Richetta.